Titanfall 2 gets open test weekends for Aug

Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall 2 releases in just over a month and, in today’s gaming landscape, that means open beta season. Gamers on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will get to do just that on August 19-21 and 26-28, with first-hand access to new map modes and Titans.

Here’s a breakdown of the new content featured:

• Bounty Hunt – A 5v5 mode that has players fighting both the opposing team and the Remnant Fleet in waves. However, points only count if you deposit them at the bank without getting killed.

• Amped Hardpoint – Essentially a 6v6 Domination mode, except defending a Hardpoint now lets you amp it for double the score.

• Boomtown – A map set in a secret underground IMC facility with peaked roofs and tight lanes through the middle.

• Homestead – As its name suggests, this map sports large rolling fields mixed with cover in the form of rocks, trees, buildings and caves.

• Forward Base Kodai – Map set in an IMC substation, where Pilots can run and ninja their way through hallways and chambers of the main building while Titans stomp on the roof overhead.

• Ion – A titan that puts the focus on energy management. Its primary weapon is the Splitter Rifle, a rapid single-fire energy rifle with burst-fire capabilities. It packs a shoulder-mounted Laser Shot, Tripwire mines, and a Vortex Shield to absorb and redirect enemy fire. The Laser Core special ability fires an oversized laser beam from its chest.

• Scorch – A defense-oriented Titan with a penchant for fire. It wields the single-shot T-203 Thermite Launcher as its primary weapon, supported by a literal Firewall, Incendiary Traps, and a Thermal Shield that handily deals damage to nearby enemies. The Flame Core special ability creates a giant wave of fire.

Amped Hardpoint and Forward Base Kodai will only be available for the second beta weekend (Aug 26-28).

Of course, all that is on top of the new set of Pilot abilities as well as new weapons such as the Mastiff shotgun and Alternator dual-barrel SMG.

Players will also get to try out the new Network group feature, described as a home base for easy matchmaking and chat.

How to get in

It’s an open test so everyone gets a shot. On Aug 19, simply search for “Titanfall 2” in the respective Xbox and PlayStation stores and download the “Titanfall 2 Multiplayer Tech Test.” Major Nelson states that Xbox Live Gold will be required so, in all likelihood, a PS Plus membership will be too.

What about PC

While Titanfall 2 will release on PC, Respawn are skipping the platform entirely for their technical test. Founder and CEO Vince Zampella addressed this in a separate note, saying that they aren’t ready for multiple hardware configurations just yet.

“We’re still making a lot of tweaks and changes to the renderer, the game, and effects so we haven’t run the game through the hardware compatibility lab yet to detect and handle a large variety of hardware – video cards, CPUs etc. Quite frankly, we aren’t ready to deal with that yet, we are still making the game better.”

He also cites data mining as a concern since Titanfall 2 has a single-player mode, a first for the series.

Nonetheless, Zampella says he is confident for the PC release and that this stress test allows them to concentrate on the actual matter at hand: server stability and scalability.

We’ve seen games make great leaps with their subsequent releases – Assassin’s Creed and Destiny comes to mind – so Titanfall 2 may be the second wind Respawn Entertainment seeks.

The game launches worldwide on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 28 October.